Luk Thung (literally “music from up-country”) is one of Thailand’s most popular music genres. In Monpleng Luk Thung FM, a lover of Luk Thung offers his life savings of $25,000 to the local Luk Thung FM radio station to host a singing contest to identify the next big star of this popular form of music. Contestants include a monk who needs money to repair his temple; a young performer following his musical passion despite his father’s attempts to direct him into more traditional folk theatre; and a woman who is attempting to shed an unfortunate nickname by becoming a famous singer.

Meanwhile, a thief attempts to steal the prize money adding a comedic backstory to this charming film that parodies Thai action movies and wire-fu, Buddhism, traditional Thai values, and the divisions between social classes in Thai society.

Monpleng Luk Thung FM marked something new for Thai cinema, as it was one of the first films completely dedicated to the Luk Thung industry, and features many of the biggest stars of the genre today.

-LunaSea, lovehkfilm.com

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About Leon Potter

Leon has worked in the Center since 2006 and has been heavily involved in the Center's subtitling projects. He worked on many Vietnamese films including Passerine Bird (Con Chim Vành Khuyên), The Lotus (Bông Sen), and Holy Days (Ngày Lễ Thánh) with Le Vinh Hoa.

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